Catalytic desulfurization of dibenzothiophene and its hindered analogues with nickel and platinum compounds

Catalytic amounts (1-0.1 mol %) of nickel and platinum compounds in 0, I, and II oxidation states containing mono- and diphosphines ligands, in conjunction with alkyl Grignard reagents, promoted the desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT), 4-methyldibenzothiophene (4-MeDBT), and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-Me2DBT), to produce the corresponding substituted and unsubstituted biphenyls. It was also observed that the use of polar solvents such as THF yielded thiols, while the use of nonpolar solvents allowed the complete desulfurization of these substrates.